EU: Tomatoes and melons from Western Sahara cannot come labeled as from Morocco, says Attorney General

The Advocate General of the EU, Tamara Ćapeta, has ruled that tomatoes and melons from Western Sahara must be labeled as originating in Western Sahara and in no case can they be labeled as originating in the Kingdom of Morocco. The Attorney General points out that the territory of Western Sahara is considered by the European Union and the international community as a distinct and separate territory from the Kingdom of Morocco. Consequently, the EU food labeling law, like EU customs rules, requires the territory of Western Sahara to be indicated as the country of origin. Failure to do so would go against the EU's stated position on the territory of Western Sahara and would risk misleading EU consumers in their purchasing decisions. The case begins when the French agricultural organization, Confédération paysanne, asks the French government to prohibit the import of melons and tomatoes originating in the territory of Western Sahara, alleging that they were falsely labeled as ...